Aeron awoke several hours later in one of the Hall's recovery rooms. The others had pulled close around him, but now everything felt too quiet — too still.
Aeron blinked. "How long was I out?"
"Long enough for Maera to try stealing one of the librarian's snacks," Garron said.
Maera smacked him lightly. "It was unguarded. That's basically an invitation."
Halik ignored them. "Aeron, do you remember anything?"
Aeron rubbed his temples. "I remember fire… and a voice telling me to open the path."
"Open what path?" Riko asked.
"No idea," Aeron said. "But I think the Sovereign is trying to use me."
Before Lyria could respond, there was a loud, sharp pecking at the window.
A black bird perched there.
A crow — but not a normal one.
It had a single wing.
And yet it floated, not flew, as if gravity itself had agreed to ignore it.
Lyria opened the window cautiously.
The crow drifted in and landed on the table, its beady eye shining unnaturally bright. Then it opened its beak and spoke in a scratchy, hollow voice:
"Message. Message. Message for the Marked."
Aeron stiffened. "Me?"
The crow nodded — if bobbing your entire head like a broken puppeteer counts as a nod — and then spit out a small rolled parchment.
Maera wrinkled her nose. "Gross."
Garron shrugged. "Could've been worse. Could've come out the other end."
Maera groaned. "Please don't give it ideas."
Soryn took the parchment carefully and unrolled it.
The ink was dark red.
The writing was messy. Urgent.
"He hunts what he needs.
He gathers what he lost.
If you do not reach the Ember Crypt first…
the Sovereign will no longer need the boy."
Aeron's stomach dropped. "The boy? That's me, isn't it?"
Lyria nodded grimly. "Yes. And someone out there wants us to get ahead of the Sovereign."
"Or walk into a trap," Halik added.
Soryn folded the message. "Either way, our next destination is clear."
Maera cracked her knuckles. "The Ember Crypt. Love the name. Sounds warm and deadly."
Garron stretched his metal arm. "Let's hope it's only one of those."
Riko blinked. "Which one?"
"Deadly," Maera said, grinning.
"Warm," Garron said at the same time.
They both glared at each other.
Aeron, still pale, whispered:
"Whatever waits for us in that crypt… I don't think it wants us alive."